Foodlovers Foodtalk Forum

Lasik eye surgery

Hi All,
Just wondering if anyone that reads this forum has had, or knows of anyone who has had Lasik eye surgery that was unsucessful.
I had it done 2 and a 1/2 months ago and my close up and middle distance vision is worse than prior to the surgery.
When I went for my 1 month check up I was told they could probably do an "enhancement" in a further 2 months and that it would "probably" correct it, but I'm not so sure I want to take the risk, so was wondering if anyone knows of anyone else this has happened to and if so did they get it redone?
Thanks in anticipation,
Sandra.

A close friend of ours had laser eye surgery done and had to have both eyes re done as it was not successful. He has since had it re done and he has no problems whatsoever. I am contemplating having it done but with the problems Jim had I dont know that I am that keen. Another friend had it done and its the best thing he had done as he no longer needs his glasses, enjoys water skiing and all sorts of sport without any vision impairment. I understand from speaking to the Ophthalmologist that the stronger the vision problem, the easier it is to correct.

Hi Sandra & Helen,
My best friend works at Dickson Pauls Optomitrist in Chartwell Mall. Will ask her for you Sandra. But Helen, if you get a chance to see her her name is Julia and she was at the foodshow with me the other year, I don't think she was their when you came. But she has spoken to me breifly in the past about eye surgery stuff, and i am sure would have lots of valuble advice.
Kindest Regards
lisa

A close friend of mine had the surgery (both eyes) and within months was wearing glasses again. I personally have been advised not to waste my money as eyesight continues to change throughout our lifetime. Rachel.

I disagree Rachel. I had both my eyes done back in 1997 and my only regret is that I didn't get it done earlier. My prescription was -13 and I couldn't even read the alarm clock beside the bed without putting glasses on. I don't wear any form of corrective lenses now, although I may need them for reading in the future.

I'm sorry it didn't work out right for you the first time Sandra. It's a personal decision, but if it was me I'd have it done again without any hesitation.

Just this week I was diagnosed as having Epiretinal membrane - apparently a membrane which grows slowly across the retina. If it has worsened in 6 months I have to have eye surgery which consists of the membrane being 'peeled' away under a general anaesthetic. Unfortunately it is in both eyes - one worse than the other - but up to now is not causing too much interference with sight though I do have to wear glasses for driving, watching TV etc.

I just wondered if the 'peeling' away would be done by laser?? Can anyone enlighten me??

i had both eyes done 15 years ago when it was still the knife ,have never regretted it and my eyes actually improved over the following months ,unfortunately i am now at an age when i need them for reading ,most opticians are against the surgery and my theory is because it does them out of selling glasses or lenses ,but i could be wrong on that

There is a 1% chance of the laser failing during the procedure, resulting in almost certain blindness. This is 1 person in 100. As the eye surgeon commented, "Everyone thinks they won't be that one person."

I have been wearing multi-focals for a few years and I talked to the local consultant surgeons in ophthalmology here (none of whom perform laser surgery) and asked if they thought it would help me. They said they would not touch laser surgery for sight improvement for themselves and all felt that too much risk was involved.

Thanks to all for your replies!
From what I understand, people who are short sighted are the ones it works well for, but people who are long sighted (like Me) seem to be the ones who have a problem... I just wish the people at the Eye Clinc had told me and I wouldn't have had it done...but then they would have lost out on $5000.00!!!
I was speaking to one of our vets today (when you have as many cats as we do you get to know quite a few vets!!), anyway, he said he wouldn't advise me to have it redone, as what they shave off the cornea doesn't grow back and if you get an eye infection e.g. an ulcer or something, there isn't much there left to fight it off, scary thought!!
Anyway, thanks again for your replies, looks like a visit back to the "speckie 4 eyes people" for me..
Cheers,
Sandra.

I'm amazed by the number of people who have undergone laser surgery but no-one has actually said what condition they were suffering from that necessitated the treatment - I'm just trying to relate other conditions to the one I currently have and trying to find out if laser surgery is the same as the 'peeling' one I may have to undertake.

Thanks very much Irene!! I have checked up the actual condition on the net but could not find anything that described the procedure - hence my wondering if it would be done by laser!! I haven't looked at the website yet but will do so when I get back from my shopping trip!!

I do believe the condition is age deterioration related (horrors!!! - and I have been trying to ignore my age for at least the last 10 years )

I have been trying to ignore my age for the last 48 years :p
but was pleased with a mystery shopper result I got (they must have been blind!!), they said I was aged 20 - 30 (yeah in my dreams) and my height was between 5'6 and 6 foot !! - everyone knows I am only 5'1" , well 5'1 and a half to be pedantic - maybe I better find the mystery shopper and tell them never, ever contemplate lasik eye surgery :}

Another thank you Irene - the website you gave me is excellent. It sounds to me like a procedure to be avoided at all costs - and in the same vein the thought of what the operation would cost is mind boggling!! As you indicated - nothing like lasik/laser surgery.

Were you standing on a box at the time of the Mystery Shopper interview - or conversely was she/he down a hole???? The age error I would accept gracefully as being absolutely correct :p

Hi Sandra, if it's not too late to say 2 of my daughters had their eyes "done" about 11 months ago.
It worked well for 1 daughter right from the start, the older one had to have one of her eyes re-done, but is fine now. Both said they never regretted it, and well worth it, especially as they both went on their "big OE" shortly afterwards.